Wanderlust Traveler: Seville

Beautiful architecture in Seville.

Day 9 (Wednesday, April 1st 2009)

I left Arcos de la Frontera early in the morning and drove out to Seville, which took about 90 minutes.

As I approached the outskirts of Seville, I was pleased with what I saw; the city appeared clean, and had lots of palm trees and other vegetation, and most of the buildings seemed well cared for. I parked the car in a parking garage and then walked a good 20 minutes to the hotel. While I never got lost per say, it was quite confusing at times to find my way to the hotel due to the medieval street plan of the city.

As I walked through the beautiful streets of Seville to my hotel, my initial impressions of the city quickly formed. I instantly fell in love with the city; it was absolutely gorgeous with brightly colored architecture and so many picturesque squares filled with cafes and parks. Most of the important main sights were all located within a 15-20 minute walk of one another. While the city was clean, it also had a wonderful rustic charm that was impossible not to enjoy. Another thing that stood out strongly for me was the overwhelming but wonderful smell of the orange blossom flowers. The smell was so incredibly lovely; I have a difficult time finding words to describe the intense smell as it was unlike anything else I had encountered previously. The weather was also perfect on my first day as it varied between 65 to 70 degrees with little to no wind and just a few clouds in the sky.

Statue in Seville.

Architecture in Seville.

Seville

Colorful Seville

Seville

A side street in Seville.

Seville

A tiny square in Seville.

Seville

Fans for sale in Seville.

Seville

A church in Seville.

Seville

Hotel rates in Seville are known for being outrageously expensive, at least when compared to other prices throughout Spain. I had the most difficult time trying to find a hotel or hostal that fit my criteria; I wanted a place that was within walking distance of the historic core, the location had to be in a charming neighborhood, a private bath was a must, and being located within close proximity to a parking garage was also very important. For these requirements, I ended up paying 95 Euros per night, which was the most expensive hotel of my entire trip. The Hotel de Puerta Sevilla was located at the end of the Barrio Santo Cruz neighborhood. It was filled with lots of character and charm; my room was decorated very nicely in pale blues and with crisp, white molding. The hotel also had an awesome rooftop terrace with great views of the city.

Hotel de Puerta Sevilla

After settling into my room, I left and headed out to do some sightseeing. My first stop was the Alcázar. This royal palace was originally built in the 10th century as a Moorish fort. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence when they are in town. The entrance fee was 7.5 Euro and I opted not to purchase the audio guide as Rick Steves had a fairly detailed walking tour described in his book. The complex itself has several sections but I visited just four of them. The first part I walked through was the Admiral's Apartments, then King Pedro the Cruel's Palace, followed by the gardens, and finally the Gothic Wing. While the Moorish decorations were impressive in King Pedro the Cruel's Palace, they just couldn’t compare to what I had seen a few days prior at the Alhambra. What I was extremely impressed with however was the gardens of the Alcázar; they were perfectly manicured and immaculately taken care of. There was countless tropical flowers, ponds, fountains, and lovely cool orange-scented breezes. It was the kind of place I could have spent hours in, just simply relaxing and enjoying the amazing views. It was definitely one of the favorite sights I visited on the trip.

Entrance to Seville's Alcazar.

Looking back to the entrance of Seville's Alcazar.

Seville's Alcazar

King Pedro the Cruel's Palace at Seville's Alcazar.

Seville's Alcazar

The gardens at Seville's Alcazar.

Seville's Alcazar

After visiting the Alcazar, I headed across the Palaza del Triunfo to the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Seville). Construction of the cathedral took quite awhile, beginning in 1402 and continuing into the 16th century. After the Vatican in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Seville's Cathedral is the third largest in Europe, so I was quite excited and looking forward to my visit. Although I was very impressed with the beautiful exterior of the building, I was slightly disappointed with its drab interior. I think part of the reason why I was somewhat disinterested was because the church was quite dark inside. However, it appeared as though a massive cleaning project was just beginning during my visit as I saw two columns that had recently been cleaned and scaffolding around several others. The difference between these columns and the rest of the church was astonishing, so I am sure that by the time the cleaning is completed the church will be very impressive.

Cathedral of Seville

While inside the church I made sure to stop by the Tomb of Christopher Columbus. The tomb was placed directly in front of the main entrance, but only relatively recently around 1900. Apparently the famed explorer was initially buried in Spain, then taken to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, then to Cuba, before finally being brought back to Seville. Many people have questioned over the years about the possibility of the remains actually belonging to Columbus; however, DNA samples were taken from the tomb a few years ago and when analyzed, proved to be the real deal. Aside from wandering around the church I also climbed to the top of the Giralda Tower, which provided great views of the historic core of Seville, and even further out into the outskirts of the city. La Giralda is a minaret tower and was originally intended for the chief mosque. However, its purpose was later changed to the bell tower of the Cathedral. The walk up did not include stairs as it was built as a ramp system to accommodate the riders and their horses who had to gallop up five times a day to give the Muslim call to prayer.

Interior of the Cathedral of Seville.

Tomb of Christopher Colombus inside the Cathedral of Seville.

Interior of the Cathedral of Seville.

View from the top of the Cathedral of Seville.

Cathedral of Seville

After touring the cathedral I headed over to Casa de Pilatos, which was a palace built in the 16th century. This gorgeous former palace had an unbelievable amount of decorative tile and Moorish influences. Unfortunately my visit began just as a ridiculous number of students (at least 40) arrived, so the large number of people in such a small place somewhat ruined the peaceful atmosphere. In addition to touring the grounds which included the main patio and side gardens, I also took a guided tour of the private apartments on the second floor. Much to my disappointment the interior rooms were not that impressive, especially when compared to the public rooms downstairs. However, I did have a lot of fun taking many photos of the beautiful details found throughout the building and would recommend Casa de Pilatos to those visiting the city.

Exterior of Casa de Pilatos.

Casa de Pilatos

Next I completed the Rick Steves Barrio Santa Cruz walk, which was described in his guidebook. I had already wandered the streets of this neighborhood several times that day, but this walk helped me to become even more familiar with the area. I loved everything about this neighborhood including its narrow lanes, beautiful and colorful architecture, and amazing atmosphere. It is the type of area where one could simply wander for hours enjoying the sights, scenes, and lovely smell of orange blossoms.

Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Plaza de Triunfo in Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Plaza de Triunfo in Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Patio de Banderas in Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Orange trees in Patio de Banderas in Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood.

While on my walk, I purchased tickets for a 22:30 flamenco show for the following night at Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus.

I was starting to get hungry at this point, so I referred to my guidebooks and decided to try a tapas bar called Bodega Santa Cruz. The place was recommended in all three guidebooks I had and was filled with locals, so I figured it was a good choice. I just wanted a small snack so I ordered croquettes (with ham and bechamel sauce) and what I can best describe as a potato omelet sandwich, called a tortilla.

Bodega Santa Cruz.

I left Bodega Santa Cruz and later ended up eating a cheap dinner at a kebab place near my hotel. When I initially ordered my food I requested it to go as I was planning on eating in my hotel room. However, I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to sit down inside the restaurant instead. Just as I was beginning to eat, one of the girls who worked at the restaurant came over to me and explained that I would have to pay an additional fee of 1 Euro to sit down and eat. I thought this was quite ridiculous and obviously left to go eat in my hotel room.

I had planned on buying dessert at a chocolate place near my hotel for churros and chocolate but they unfortunately closed earlier than I realized at 21:00, so I planned to go the following day for breakfast instead.

Day 10 (Thursday, April 2nd 2009)

My first stop on my second day in Seville was the churro and chocolate place, located across from my hotel. As the small eatery had been closed the night before when I attempted to visit for a late night snack, I figured it would be a great place for breakfast. Unfortunately this was not the case. The churros were lifeless (i.e. floppy) and soaked with grease. The chocolate was also terrible; it tasted more like weak hot chocolate than thick and rich chocolate pudding as it had in Barcelona. I left feeling only slightly full and very disappointed.

Churros in Seville.

Chocolate and churros in Seville.

Next, I walked a long distance to the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts). This is a fine arts museum that is housed in a former mercy convent. There are 15 exhibition rooms which showcase a wide range of Sevillian art from the Gothic period to the early trends of the 20th century. As the museum was located away from the historic center, I had to refer to a detailed map several times in order to find the building. Because I approached the museum from a side street, I wasn't quite sure if I was at the right building or not. I finally saw a sign posted on the side of the building, so I naturally walked up towards the sign to read the information. It was at this moment that I got yelled at by a construction worker. He was screaming and frantically waving his hands around. Apparently, I had accidentally walked onto newly laid tile. As he continued to scream at me, I looked down at the ground and realized that the tile was indeed slightly wet from recently being set. I quickly moved out of the way, but was slightly pissed off that I had gotten yelled at by the man as the tile wasn’t marked nor roped off. It definitely wasn't obvious that work was going on, so how could I have possibly known not to step on the tile?

Seville's Museum of Fine Arts.

Feeling quite irritated, I finally found the main entrance to the museum shortly after the tile incident. The museum was small but well-laid out. While there wasn't anything specifically that I wanted to see, I had an enjoyable time walking through the galleries. I liked looking at the painted portraits of Sevillians during the late 19th century, including a very cute one of a little boy. The best part of the museum however was its free entrance which was a very nice surprise!

Seville's Museum of Fine Arts.

After touring the museum, I made my way over to the bull fighting arena Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza. In order to gain access to the arena visitors were required to partake in a guided tour, which cost 6 Euros per person. Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza is considered the oldest bullfighting arena in Spain, with the initial construction beginning in 1749. The arena has seen many physical changes over the last few hundred years as it was often in a state of repair or remodel.

Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville.

The tour guide first took the group to the arena, where she spoke to the group in both Spanish and English. As it was very close to the beginning of the bullfighting season the arena was in the midst of being prepped, so there was machinery and workers everywhere. Next, she took us to the Bullfighting Museum which was filled with a myriad of different objects relating to bullfighting including costumes, artwork, accessories, and even the heads of a few bulls. While I immensely enjoyed the tour and found the museum fascinating, I had a very difficult time relating to the concept of bullfighting itself. I understand that bullfighting is a custom and an integral part of the culture in Southern Spain but I don't agree with the sport. I stood there in the museum, looking into the eyes of the dead bulls and felt so terribly sorry for them. The part that bothered me the most was that these poor bulls live happy lives out in the farms of Andalusia for a few years, only to one day be quickly whisked away and brought to an arena where there are thousands of loud people everywhere around them. It has to be an incredibly terrifying experience for the bulls to be randomly thrown into a completely unfamiliar place (the arena) where there is a massive amount of noise and commotion going on. Then, to top it off, there is a man in the center of the arena, waiting for the bull to approach him so that the animal can be killed. I don't think I will ever be able to truly understand the sport of killing for fun, but that is just the animal lover in me.

Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza in Seville.

I then took another long walk towards Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija. This was a former aristocratic mansion that was redesigned by the Countess of Lebrija in the early 20th century. The building was originally constructed in the 15th century and later rebuilt into an elegant mansion in the 16th century. The Countess of Lebrija decided to restore and redecorate the family mansion approximately one hundred years ago. She was a passionate collector of antiques and incorporated Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Moorish artifacts into the design of the home. The most famous of these additions were the amazingly preserved Roman mosaics that were found in the nearby Roman city of Italica. Entrance into the small palace was 4 Euros and was well worth the cost. I thought it was shocking yet amazing that people were able to to actually walk upon the Roman mosaic floors; I would have assumed that all of the mosaics would have been roped off! In addition to the wonderful mosaics the palace was filled with numerous works of art, all of which were very different but blended together in a beautiful and harmonic way. The Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija reminded me very much of the Hearst Castle in California, as both buildings were constructed using artifacts from other historical places around the world.

Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija in Seville.

Beautiful square just outside of Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija in Seville.

Next, I completed what had to have been the longest walk ever from the Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija to Plaza de España. In 1929, Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and several buildings were constructed for the exhibition in Maria Luisa Park including a plaza. The plaza is shaped as a huge half-circle with a building that continually runs along its edge, along with a moat (which was not filled with any water during my visit) and a huge water fountain in the center. The Plaza de España was undergoing a massive renovation/conservation during my visit (thus the reason for the disappointing lack of water in the canals). I was fortunate to have arrived just as the sun was setting, which helped to light up the buildings beautifully. Once the renovations are complete this will be a great place for both locals and tourists to visit during the hot summer days in Seville.

The walk to Plaza de Espana.

Plaza de Espana in Seville.

After spending some time relaxing in the sun at Plaza de España, I decided to find some tapas places to eat dinner. I first stopped in at a fish market which was located directly next door to my hotel. Aside from several different kinds of fried fish to choose from the restaurant also offered croquettes, so I purchased a few Euros worth as it was a good price especially compared to tapas bars.

Croquettes in Seville.

Next, I stopped in at a wine bar that served tapas near my hotel. I had passed by the restaurant several times during my two day stay, so I thought I might as well stop in for a bite to eat. While they had plenty of tapas options to choose from, the tapas themselves were somewhat pricey and actually not that tasty. I did have a small piece of steak which was good, but everything else including their croquettes were not so good.

Tapas bar in Seville.

Tapas in Seville.

After I finished eating, it was time to head to the Flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria Al-Andalus. While there are dozens of different Flamenco places to choose from in Seville, I decided to go with Casa de la Memoria Al-Andalus based on the positive recommendations it received from Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, and Trip Advisor. The one hour show cost 15 Euros and shows are generally offered twice each night at 21:00 and 22:30. I had initially wanted to attend the 21:00 showing, but when I had bought my ticket the day before they were completely sold out so I settled for the later showing. I was informed by the ticket agent that there were no assigned seats, so if I wanted to make sure to get good seats it was best to arrive at least 15-30 minutes prior to the show time and line up outside. I followed his advice and was the first person to arrive. As I waited in line, I eventually struck up a conversation with the couple standing directly behind me. I found out that they were from Vermont and owned their own bakery. I also discovered that it was their first trip to Europe. As they owned their own business, they had found it very difficult in the past to get away for any extended period of time. However, they finally committed to the idea of a vacation when one of their daughters began studying abroad in Cadiz through her university. I also found out that they had a son who was living in Bellingham, Washington and I informed them that my sister was attending school in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was funny to see the connections we could make; that's one of the things I enjoy most about traveling. I find it so amazing that you can meet a complete stranger half-way around the world and end up discovering that you have much in common.

After standing in line for nearly 30 minutes, I was finally ushered into the small venue where the couple from Vermont and I took the best seats, directly in front of the stage. Casa de la Memoria Al-Andalus offers an intimate concert environment with a smaller cast, no alcohol or food, and less than 100 seats that circle the small stage; much the opposite of most other flamenco shows in Seville. The show was absolutely amazing and went beyond my expectations. The music was completely acoustic and sung by a young woman who had the most powerful voice I've ever heard. Her voice, combined with the soothing guitar in the background evoked a truly incredible atmosphere. The male dancer was nothing short of spectacular and moved in ways I didn’t even know a human being was capable of doing. I could not imagine how one would not be impressed by his speedy and intricate footwork The most enjoyable part of the performance was the act when both the male and female danced together. I loved the rhythmic nature of the dancing and the fast-moving clicking noise that their shoes made on the stage. I was also very impressed by the level of passion that the singer, guitar player, and dancers displayed on their faces. It was clearly evident that their music and dancing were more than just a job to them; it was a part of who they were and they completed it with the most serious of convictions. I think everyone left the show in complete awe of the talent that they were all fortunate enough to see. Attending a flamenco show while in Seville is must-see for any visitor and Casa de la Memoria Al-Andalus is the perfect place to be introduced to this incredible form of art.

Flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria Al-Andalus in Seville.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with my time in Seville. While I figured I would probably enjoy the city due to the positive things I had read about it, I had no idea that it would end up becoming one of my favorite cities in Europe. It's the type of place that one should linger in order to truly absorb its many different sides and personalities. Every nook and cranny in Seville seemed to be filled with ambiance and a charm that I have not yet encountered anywhere else in the world. I will never forgot the amazing smell of orange blossoms that I encountered during every second I spent outside. When I think of Spain, my thoughts will always turn to Seville and the amazing time I had in the wonderful city that in my opinion defines the country better than any other place in Spain.

2 comments:

AnonymousMay 1, 2012 at 5:22 PM
Your pictures are fantastic and brought back so many great memories of my semester there especially the always sunny, bright blue sky and the orange trees!

I also attended a performance at Casa de la Memoria when my dad came to visit and really enjoyed it although I was flamed later on a travel board for recommending it (the poster found it too touristy). I liked that they also offered Sefardi music concerts which to me was pretty unique and authentic.

When I studied in Seville in 2006, Casa Pilatos was closed so I never got to visit although your commentary on your visit was interesting.

Did you make it across the river to Triana? That was the barrio that I lived. Not really any attractions to see (except for some awesome ceramic shops), just a nice ambience and some good tapas bars.

I share your sentiment on it being such a terrific city :)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Seville

2 comments: